Answers

Q:

Are the gifts of the Spirit valid for today?

A:

We believe that it is possible for Christians today to receive special gifts of the Spirit. In regard to the spiritual gifts as they are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, it is important to note especially verse 11 where we find that the Holy Spirit gives the gifts according to His own will.

In Mr. Graham's book "The Holy Spirit," he states as follows: "He (the Holy Spirit) chooses who gets which gifts, and He dispenses them at His good pleasure. While we are held accountable for the use of any gifts He gives us, we have no responsibility for gifts we have not been given."

Mr. Graham goes on to say: "Every one of the fruits of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-23] should be characteristic of every single Christian. But the gifts of the Spirit are different. Every believer should have the same fruit as every other believer, but not every believer will have the same gifts as every other believer. No, the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts in such a way that every believer has at least one gift which is uniquely his. You may have been given a certain gift by God, but it would be a mistake for you to say everyone else should have that same gift."

We must keep in mind that the spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit and must not be considered unimportant. The use of them is to exalt the Lord and build up the body of believers. The possession of a spiritual gift is not to be thought of as making one believer more holy or more spiritually advanced than another.

It is important to note that Paul admonishes that these gifts must be governed by love and that all things should "be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40). A good test of any spiritual ministry or experience is whether or not it honors God and exalts the Lord Jesus Christ.